Remote and Virtual Tower
Encyclopedia
Remote and Virtual Tower (RVT) is a new concept where the Air Traffic Service
(ATS) at an airport
is performed somewhere else than in the local control tower
.
.
The RVT concept is aiming at providing:
The full range of Air Traffic Service
s defined in ICAO Documents 4444, 9426 and EUROCONTROL’s Manual for AFIS will still be provided remotely by an ATCO or AFISO. The airspace
users should be provided with the appropriate level of services as if the ATS
were provided locally at the airport.
The SESAR Joint Undertaking
projects are looking at RVT concepts, based on either one person controlling one airport
, or one person controlling multiple
airports.
, the APRON
and the very nearby Airspace
. These real time images were displayed at large monitors providing a 360 degree view.
Beside the live video feed from the airport, the ATCOs have available the same Air Traffic Management computer systems as they would have in a local control tower
building, being Voice communication systems, Meteorological systems, Flight plan
systems, and Surveillance
display systems. The level of equipage might depend of whether it is a controlled TWR service, or a Flight Information Service being provided at the specific airport
.
Depending on the complexity of the airport
, the traffic densities, and weather
conditions, it might be preferable to complement the optical images with a Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) with signal inputs from Surface Movement Radar
(SMR) and/or Local Area Multilateration
(LAM).
as part of the SESAR Joint Undertaking
(SJU), where Work Package 6 develops the operational concepts, while Work Package 12 develops the corresponding technology to enable the RVT functionality.
There will be carried out live SESAR
Validation trials at a few selected airport
s in Norway
(Avinor
) and Sweden
(Luftfartsverket) as part of SESAR Joint Undertaking
Project 6.9.3 during the years 2012-2015.
Airservices Australia
intends to evaluate RVT technology from Saab group
at the Alice Springs airport in Central Australia
from late 2012, with the control centre placed in Adelaide
.
In March
2009, Saab group
and Luftfartsverket (LFV) carried out a live shadow mode demonstration of their existing Remote Tower concept.
This demonstration took place at a Remote Tower Centre facility established at Malmø Air Traffic Control Centre (ATCC), controlling a flight
in and out of Angelholm
airport (ICAO
:ESTA) in southern Sweden
. As a contingency mechanism during this trial, the local control tower
at Angelholm
was staffed by ATCOs.
Saab
and Luftfartsverket have been the major driving forces behind the Remote Tower development, and are both represented in the SESAR Joint Undertaking
projects, through North European ATM Industry Group (NATMIG) and NORACON.
During ATC Global in Amsterdam
in March
2011, SESAR Joint Undertaking
had a ceremony where Project 6.9.3 'Remote & Virtual Tower' was given the award for 'most advanced for deployment'. The price was presented by Executive Director
of SESAR Joint Undertaking
Mr Patrick Ky, and received by Project 6.9.3 Project Manager Mr Göran Lindqvist, NORACON.
efficiency.
The cost savings originate from the following factors:
There is also a great potential to better and more cost efficiently serve flights which either are scheduled outside the core opening hours of the airport
, or by being able to serve non scheduled traffic (ambulance
flights and SAR
helicopter
s) with an Air traffic service
during night
time when a smaller airports would normally be closed.
RVT may fit in the category "low-level disruptions", by being able to provide Air Traffic Services at airports with
relatively low traffic levels today served by an expensive, full scale ATC provided by ATCOs
in the local tower
building. For these airports the RVT will initially deliver the same level of safety
and defined Air Traffic Services, but potentially
at a slightly lower capacity during a few peak hours. These will be trade-offs for the airport
operator to
consider: accepting the potential of a few minor delays caused by a low cost Air Traffic Services, or always provide the
best capacity through an expensive, traditional Air Traffic Services.
Air Traffic Service
In aviation, an air traffic service is an extra-ventricular service which regulates and assists aircraft in real-time to ensure their safe operations...
(ATS) at an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
is performed somewhere else than in the local control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
.
Concept
The Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) og Aerodrome Flight Information Services Officer (AFISO) will be re-located to a Remote Tower Centre (RTC) from where they will provide the ATSAir Traffic Service
In aviation, an air traffic service is an extra-ventricular service which regulates and assists aircraft in real-time to ensure their safe operations...
.
The RVT concept is aiming at providing:
- Remote TWR services at small and medium size airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, by personnel (ATCO and AFISO) located at a Remote Tower Centre somewhere else - Contingency services at major airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, in the case of fireFireFire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
or other events which could take place at the control towerControl towerA control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
building. Contingency facility should be at safe, nearby, but different physical location - SyntheticSyntheticSynthesis, the combination of two or more parts, whether by design or by natural processes. Furthermore, it may imply being prepared or made artificially, in contrast to naturally.-In the sense of combination:* Synthetic position, a concept in finance...
augementation of vision to increase situational awareness at airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s during poor visibilityVisibilityIn meteorology, visibility is a measure of the distance at which an object or light can be clearly discerned. It is reported within surface weather observations and METAR code either in meters or statute miles, depending upon the country. Visibility affects all forms of traffic: roads, sailing...
conditions, at the local airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
control towerControl towerA control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
facilities
The full range of Air Traffic Service
Air Traffic Service
In aviation, an air traffic service is an extra-ventricular service which regulates and assists aircraft in real-time to ensure their safe operations...
s defined in ICAO Documents 4444, 9426 and EUROCONTROL’s Manual for AFIS will still be provided remotely by an ATCO or AFISO. The airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
users should be provided with the appropriate level of services as if the ATS
Air Traffic Service
In aviation, an air traffic service is an extra-ventricular service which regulates and assists aircraft in real-time to ensure their safe operations...
were provided locally at the airport.
The SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking is the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme that will give Europe a high-performance Air Traffic Management infrastructure which will enable the safe and environmentally friendly...
projects are looking at RVT concepts, based on either one person controlling one airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, or one person controlling multiple
Multiple
The word multiple can refer to:*Multiple , multiples of numbers*List of multiple discoveries, instances of scientists, working independently of each other, reaching similar findings...
airports.
Technology
The initial trials of remote ATS for low and medium density airports, have been based on Optical sensors (cameras), providing the ATCOs at the RTC with a high quality real time image of the RunwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
, the APRON
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
and the very nearby Airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
. These real time images were displayed at large monitors providing a 360 degree view.
Beside the live video feed from the airport, the ATCOs have available the same Air Traffic Management computer systems as they would have in a local control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
building, being Voice communication systems, Meteorological systems, Flight plan
Flight plan
Flight plans are documents filed by pilots or a Flight Dispatcher with the local Civil Aviation Authority prior to departure...
systems, and Surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
display systems. The level of equipage might depend of whether it is a controlled TWR service, or a Flight Information Service being provided at the specific airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
.
Depending on the complexity of the airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, the traffic densities, and weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
conditions, it might be preferable to complement the optical images with a Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) with signal inputs from Surface Movement Radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
(SMR) and/or Local Area Multilateration
Multilateration
Multilateration is a navigation technique based on the measurement of the difference in distance to two or more stations at known locations that broadcast signals at known times. Unlike measurements of absolute distance or angle, measuring the difference in distance results in an infinite number of...
(LAM).
Development and validation
The RVT concept is under developmentNew product development
In business and engineering, new product development is the term used to describe the complete process of bringing a new product to market. A product is a set of benefits offered for exchange and can be tangible or intangible...
as part of the SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking is the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme that will give Europe a high-performance Air Traffic Management infrastructure which will enable the safe and environmentally friendly...
(SJU), where Work Package 6 develops the operational concepts, while Work Package 12 develops the corresponding technology to enable the RVT functionality.
There will be carried out live SESAR
SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking is the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme that will give Europe a high-performance Air Traffic Management infrastructure which will enable the safe and environmentally friendly...
Validation trials at a few selected airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(Avinor
Avinor
Avinor AS is a state owned limited company in that operates most of the civil airports in Norway. The Norwegian state, via the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications controls 100 percent of the share capital. Avinor was created on 1 January 2003, by the privatization of the...
) and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(Luftfartsverket) as part of SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking is the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme that will give Europe a high-performance Air Traffic Management infrastructure which will enable the safe and environmentally friendly...
Project 6.9.3 during the years 2012-2015.
Airservices Australia
Airservices Australia
Airservices Australia is an Australian Government agency, responsible for providing safe and environmentally sound air traffic control management and related airside services to the aviation industry within the Australian Flight Information Region...
intends to evaluate RVT technology from Saab group
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
at the Alice Springs airport in Central Australia
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
from late 2012, with the control centre placed in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
In March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
2009, Saab group
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
and Luftfartsverket (LFV) carried out a live shadow mode demonstration of their existing Remote Tower concept.
This demonstration took place at a Remote Tower Centre facility established at Malmø Air Traffic Control Centre (ATCC), controlling a flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
in and out of Angelholm
Ängelholm
Ängelholm is a locality and the seat of Ängelholm Municipality in Skåne County, Sweden with 22,532 inhabitants in 2005.It is known for its clay cuckoos — a special kind of ocarina. This is however a dying tradition as there is now only one producer of clay cuckoos, Sofia Nilsson.Tourism is an...
airport (ICAO
ICAO airport code
The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators.The ICAO codes are used by air traffic...
:ESTA) in southern Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. As a contingency mechanism during this trial, the local control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
at Angelholm
Ängelholm
Ängelholm is a locality and the seat of Ängelholm Municipality in Skåne County, Sweden with 22,532 inhabitants in 2005.It is known for its clay cuckoos — a special kind of ocarina. This is however a dying tradition as there is now only one producer of clay cuckoos, Sofia Nilsson.Tourism is an...
was staffed by ATCOs.
Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
and Luftfartsverket have been the major driving forces behind the Remote Tower development, and are both represented in the SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking is the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme that will give Europe a high-performance Air Traffic Management infrastructure which will enable the safe and environmentally friendly...
projects, through North European ATM Industry Group (NATMIG) and NORACON.
During ATC Global in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
2011, SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking is the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme that will give Europe a high-performance Air Traffic Management infrastructure which will enable the safe and environmentally friendly...
had a ceremony where Project 6.9.3 'Remote & Virtual Tower' was given the award for 'most advanced for deployment'. The price was presented by Executive Director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking
SESAR Joint Undertaking is the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme that will give Europe a high-performance Air Traffic Management infrastructure which will enable the safe and environmentally friendly...
Mr Patrick Ky, and received by Project 6.9.3 Project Manager Mr Göran Lindqvist, NORACON.
Possible benefits
The main benefits of RVT is expected to be on costCost
In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it is counted as cost. In this...
efficiency.
The cost savings originate from the following factors:
- No need to build and maintain control towerControl towerA control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
buildings and facilities at the local airports - More efficient use of human resourcesHuman resourcesHuman resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
(ATCOs and AFISOs), especially by serving multipleMultipleThe word multiple can refer to:*Multiple , multiples of numbers*List of multiple discoveries, instances of scientists, working independently of each other, reaching similar findings...
airports with medium to low traffic levels from a centralised locationLocationLocation may refer to:* Location , one of the five geographic themes and a specific position or point in physical space. * Absolute location* Content-location in HTTP headers: a Uniform Resource Identifier... - Reduced need to establish and maintain ATM systems locally at the airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s. By using data communication networks from the local airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
to the Remote Tower Centre (RTC), several technical systems can be centralised, hence costs savings are possible
There is also a great potential to better and more cost efficiently serve flights which either are scheduled outside the core opening hours of the airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, or by being able to serve non scheduled traffic (ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
flights and SAR
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s) with an Air traffic service
Air Traffic Service
In aviation, an air traffic service is an extra-ventricular service which regulates and assists aircraft in real-time to ensure their safe operations...
during night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
time when a smaller airports would normally be closed.
Disruptive technology
There are strong similarities between the concept of RVT, and the criteria for disruptive innovations as defined by Clayton Christensen and Michael Raynor in the book "Innovators Solution".RVT may fit in the category "low-level disruptions", by being able to provide Air Traffic Services at airports with
relatively low traffic levels today served by an expensive, full scale ATC provided by ATCOs
Air traffic controller
Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
in the local tower
building. For these airports the RVT will initially deliver the same level of safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
and defined Air Traffic Services, but potentially
at a slightly lower capacity during a few peak hours. These will be trade-offs for the airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
operator to
consider: accepting the potential of a few minor delays caused by a low cost Air Traffic Services, or always provide the
best capacity through an expensive, traditional Air Traffic Services.